Interpretation of Millikan Library's Vibrating Modes Using A Magneto Coil To Measure Phase Shifts

Abstract

A new set of natural frequencies for the 9-story reinforced concrete Millikan Library building on the Caltech campus is computed using the observed phase shift between the driving force of a shaker installed on the building's roof and structural response at resonance. The phase of the shaker's output force was recorded by a magneto coil and magnet attached to the shaker's rotating mechanism, and the phase of the structural response was obtained from acceleration time series recorded by an accelerometer on the roof. These new results refute previous studies' identification of the 3rd EW and 2nd torsional modes which used spectral analysis of forced and free vibrations, but did not consider the phase shift. In addition, the newly identified 3rd EW mode shape is independent of the other EW mode shapes, unlike previous findings. This new interpretation is compatible with results from subspace system identification based on two sets of earthquake records.

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